Biomedical subjects

M Beccaro

Publications and source records attributed to M Beccaro.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Diagnosis and prognosis disclosure among cancer patients. Results from an Italian mortality follow-back survey.

BACKGROUND: The observed cultural changes in truth-telling attitudes suggest a radical change in the practice of delivering information to cancer patients, but limited research is available from countries known for their policy of non-disclosure. This study estimates the proportion of Italian who died of cancer who had received information about diagnosis and prognosis, and explores the variables associated with disclosure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a mortality follow-back survey of 1271 non-professional caregivers of Italians who died of cancer in 2002, representative of the approximate 160 000 Italian annual cancer deaths. Caregivers were interviewed after the patient's death about the process of diagnosis and prognosis disclosure. RESULTS: It was estimated that 37% of people who died of cancer had received information about diagnosis and 13% about poor prognosis. A consistent proportion, although non-informed, knew the diagnosis (29%) and the poor prognosis (50%). The probability to be informed was higher for patients living in the north of Italy, young, well educated, with longer survival, and with breast or head and neck tumor. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that not necessarily the observed cultural changes towards a less paternalistic approach in medical care translate into an effective change in the quantity of information delivered to the patients.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Structural subunit organization of molluscan hemocyanins.

The quaternary structure of Molluscan hemocyanins is not still defined, in particular the spatial distribution and the structural subunits. It is important to establish the number and the nature of interations between functional units. Here we present two non-proteolytic methods for the depolymerization of hemocyanins. The results suggest that the carbohydrate moieties apparently play a basic role in the organization of the structural subunits.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Calcyclin gene expression modulation by medroxyprogesterone acetate.

Calcyclin is a cell-cycle-related gene corresponding to a calcium-binding protein whose expression is mainly controlled by platelet-derived growth factor. This paper illustrates medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) inhibition of endogenous calcyclin RNA expression of both estrogen-dependent human mammary carcinoma cells and estrogen-independent hamster fibroblasts. Transfection of fragments of the calcyclin promoter driving the chloramphenicol-acetyl-transferase (CAT) gene into hamster fibroblasts was used to evaluate the hormone sensitivity of different promoter regions by considering calcyclin expression at both the RNA and protein level, as evaluated by the CAT assay. A 164 bp promoter fragment showed a good activity that was inhibited by MPA, thereby confirming the results of the observation of endogenous calcyclin gene: smaller fragments, however, required cotransfection of progestin receptor to show full activity, with MPA displaying a stimulatory effect. These findings show that progestin modulation of calcyclin gene expression may be independent of progestin receptors, and that MPA has opposite effects on different promoter regions.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

NMDA-stimulated expression of BDNF mRNA in cultured cerebellar granule neurones.

The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) affects the developing cerebellar granule cells. Exposure of 9-11-day-old primary cultures of rat cerebellar granule neurones for 3 h to a more depolarizing medium (additional 15-30 mM KCl) stimulated the release of glutamate and increased the BDNF mRNAs levels. This BDNF and mRNA upregulation was inhibited by dizocilpine (MK-801), the noncompetitive blocker of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-sensitive glutamate receptors, and mimicked by NMDA. Continuous (up to 5 h) culture exposure to non-toxic NMDA concentration resulted in a prolonged increase in BDNF mRNA expression and enhanced neuronal resistance to glutamate toxicity. The latter effect of NMDA was attenuated by cycloheximide, a protein synthesis inhibitor. The mechanisms responsible for NMDA-triggered BDNF upregulation and neuroprotection might be important in the compensatory response of brain to excitotoxicity.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Hyaluronate derivatives and their application to wound healing: preliminary observations.

Hyaluronic acid and its derivatives show promise as biomaterials in wound healing applications. Studies of cutaneous wound repair were carried out in two animal models to compare the biological effects of hyaluronic acid and hyaluronic acid ethyl ester, a new semisynthetic derivative. The two compounds were tested in partial-thickness excisional wounds in 40-kg pigs and full-thickness excisional wounds in the rabbit ear as 0.2% (w/w) formulations in a neutral Na alginate vehicle. All compounds were administered daily under an occlusive, polyurethane dressing. Neither hyaluronic acid nor the hyaluronic acid ethyl ester showed toxic or inflammatory influences over the observation period of about 2 weeks. Morphometric analysis of porcine wounds revealed small differences among treatment groups which may have been masked by the effect of the vehicle. The rabbit ear model data suggested a very slight inhibition of wound closure. Biochemical analysis of ear wounds showed this injury model to be a sensitive system for evaluation of vulnerary agents. The hyaluronate-treated wounds tended to accumulate collagen more slowly, which may reflect the capacity of these compounds to modify the scarring process. Given the ability to fabricate hyaluronate esters into films and fibers, these data suggest that such biomaterials will not, by themselves, exert a negative influence on the repair process and may improve healing, either alone or in combination with other soluble agents.

Animals↗

PubMed1986

Intracerebral quinolinic acid injection in the rat: effects on dopaminergic neurons.

Intrastriatal infusion of the endogenous excitotoxin quinolinic acid (QUIN) leads to the degeneration of neuronal cell bodies around the injection site. Dopaminergic afferents not only survive the toxic insult but react by increasing their activity in the acute and subacute phases following the injection of QUIN. Measurements of the tissue concentrations of acidic dopamine metabolites, and determinations of L-DOPA accumulation after DOPA-decarboxylase inhibition, indicate an increased dopamine turnover within 90 min after the administration of 50 micrograms QUIN. At the later timepoints examined (6 h, 4 and 11 days after QUIN), dopaminergic parameters are increased in the injected striatum only while no changes can be detected in the homolateral substantia nigra. Local norepinephrine levels are elevated 4 and 11 days after an intrastriatal QUIN injection but remain unchanged at distant sites or earlier postinjection periods. The acute increase in nigrostriatal activity may be mediated by an excessively stimulated, yet functional striatonigral feedback loop whereas subsequent changes represent local reactions of dopaminergic nerve terminals secondary to neuronal degeneration in the striatum. In accordance with this interpretation, no monoaminergic changes can be observed in the hypothalamus 4 days following the local injection of 50 micrograms QUIN, a dose which does not cause neuronal necrosis in this brain area. These data are concordant with, and are discussed in the context of, a possible involvement of QUIN in the pathogenesis of Huntington's disease.

Animals↗